Tacos al pastor are spit-roasted marinated pork tacos with pineapple, onion and cilantro on small corn tortillas, the Lebanese-Mexican fusion that grew from shawarma into a Tapatio late-night staple.

Tacos al pastor descend from the shawarma tradition brought by Lebanese and Syrian immigrants to Mexico in the early 20th century. The Mexican adaptation replaced the lamb with achiote-marinated pork, kept the vertical trompo spit and added pineapple to the top of the cone. Mexico City claims invention in the 1960s, but Tapatio late-night taquerias developed their own style: smaller trompos, more chile-de-arbol salsa and a slice of pineapple per taco. Tacos Providencia and Los Pinches Tacos are the canonical Guadalajara late-night addresses.

Where to eat Tacos al pastor (Tapatio) in Guadalajara

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Make it at home

Serves 44 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 800 g pork shoulder, sliced thin (3 mm)
  • 3 guajillo chiles, seeded
  • 2 ancho chiles, seeded
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp achiote paste
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, in 5 mm slices
  • 16 small corn tortillas
  • Chopped white onion, cilantro and lime for serving
  • Chile-de-arbol salsa for serving

Method

  1. Toast the chiles, soak in hot water 15 minutes, then blend with garlic, achiote, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and orange juice into a smooth marinade.
  2. Coat the sliced pork in the marinade and refrigerate at least 3 hours (overnight is better).
  3. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Cook the pork in batches until charred at the edges, about 4 minutes per batch.
  4. Char the pineapple slices in the same pan, then dice.
  5. Chop the pork finely.
  6. Warm the tortillas on a comal, fill with pork, top with diced pineapple, chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice and chile-de-arbol salsa.

Editor tip. A home oven broiler under a vertical skewer setup approximates the trompo. Otherwise, the high-heat skillet char gets close enough.

Common allergens: Wheat (some tortillas).